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The Pastoral Epistles of Saint Paul, 
Part 41, Hebrews 1:5-14
Talk by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen)
August 22, 2023

Topics include: 
(1) Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God, the God-man, the Great High Priest, who offered himself to the Father and is seated with God on His Cherubic Throne. 
(2) Background for the text's discussion of the Son as superior to the angels: a dispute between the Pharisees (who were more adherents of first temple, believing in angels) and the Sadducees (the religious elite. adherents of Reformed Judaism, which reconstructed the scriptures after exile, and created the second temple, which abandoned many aspects of the first temple); 
(3) Jesus is not an angel in human form, or merely a messenger from God, but God himself!; 
(4) In the older form of the Hebrew religion, God was multipersonal: Almighty God, Yahweh His Son, and the Wisdom of God (His Spirit). The Deutronomist records how the reformers, who had gained control over the King, purged the temple of idols (which may well have existed, due to apostasy), but also removed everything associated with Wisdom and much of the content of the First Temple. The "winners" wrote the text ... the faithful didn't win out till Christianity; 
(5) The Sadducees didn't believe in spirits, angels, the last judgement, or that sacrifices could remit sin. Christianity affirms angels exist, but makes it clear that they are inferior to the Son of God, angels not being divine. 
(6) Detailed discussion on each of the Old Testament references. Especially how the Kingship of the Davidic line was a sacrament of the presence of God among His people. The King was sacramentally Yahweh, enthroned in the Holy of Holies. These quoted Psalms could be Liturgical texts of the Enthronement of the King, as the Christ, Son of God, King and God amidst His people; 
(7) Discussions based on the book of Enoch of why Satan and the angels fell, not being able to accept that man was made in the image of God. These fallen angels had ancient enmity against man and promoted the defacement of God's image in men, even coming down and marrying the daughters of men. But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the God-man, the Second Adam, renews the fallen human nature.  In v 14, the angels are ministering spirits, sent to serve for the sake of those who inherit salvation.